A Dark Lord's Anger, A Desperate Hero's Hope
by Patronus12
Summary: Voldemort is angry. Harry is lost in the sorrow of loss. A plot is brewing like the storm of war in the near future, and the time has come to fight. In times like these, it is do or die. Your choice.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am really winging it this time. I am just writing as I go, I have no inspiration, and I'm bored. I really, REALLY need sugar! Anyway, I really hope it turns out okay... Please review with constructive criticism so I can fix what needs to be fixed :) **

* * *

Voldemort was angry. That much he knew.

He wasn't sure of much these days. After the death of Sirius, he had gone through life in a blur, hardly aware of what was happening. Then Snape killed Dumbledore, and he was surprised that he was able to move on at all... His life had taken an abrupt turn, and he didn't know where to go with it all. His friends had tried to help, but they had hardly done so... he honestly didn't know if he could be helped at all at this point. Again, he wasn't sure of much anymore.

But Voldemort was angry. Raging-like-fire angry. His scar told him that.

Harry pondered over this new knowledge. What on Earth could make the Dark Lord this mad? What was he planning that had gone wrong? And, most importantly, how did it concern him?

* * *

**A/N: These are probably your thoughts, or will be.**

**_Oh, so Breeze finally wrote a serious story._**

**_No, not serious. Sirius Black :)_**

**_Wait... this is Breeze we're talking about..._**

**_So it can't be serious..._**

**_Can it...?_**

**_I'm so confused!_**

**_Enlighten me, Breeze!_**

**Oh I shall, Grasshopper. I shall.**

**Ok, that was random... anyway this story does seem serious, doesn't it? I surprised MYSELF! I don't know where this story will go, but maybe you will be surprised.**

**Or maybe you won't.**

**Depends...**

**~Breeze**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just one simple statement to you so you can get to reading- Remember my last note. Now enjoy :)**

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The road ahead was winding, twisting, curving until it reached the point that was obviously approaching- war. The conclusion was unclear... It was shrouded in the mist of suspense and uncertainty. Voldemort was getting stronger every day, as was his army- and his plans.

The Order felt lost, though they would never admit it to the opposing side. The death of their leader was a major tragedy, and all would have fell into chaos if it wasn't for the hope they found in Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived.

This fact brought much more stress to Harry, who felt as though he had to live up to everyone's expectations and win. How was it possible to win, when he felt as though he was losing himself in the process?

Every night, he had the same nightmares and visions crossing his mind- Sirius falling, Dumbledore falling, Cedric falling, his mum, falling- Himself falling. Falling into the despair that he tried so hard to escape from. Others thought he was brave, strong- when, in reality, he was crumbling from within.

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**A/N: Sorry the chapter is so short... But I will have the next one posted soon!**

**Yesterday I was on my phone and I couldn't write because the computer was being fixed but I saw your favs and follows, and even though it's just a few, it made my day. I had expected to be a nobody on this site, just writing for fun and never expecting anyone to like what I wrote. So, seeing that people care about what I write and actually enjoy reading it, well let's just say it made me so happy I wanted to EXPLODE!**

**So, because of that, I feel as though I need to be loyal to my readers and post as much as possible. With summer break starting in like four days, I might even post daily! But that all depends, of course, on what pops up in my life. And before we get to summer break, I have to finish exams :p But I won't forget about this!**

**Thanks again :)**

**Breeze **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am** updating** a lot of stories today :D Anyway, here is the third chapter. Thanks again to all my wonderful readers who favorite and follow, and please review so I can work on making the story better! :)**

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_Harry,_

_I am writing this quickly in the hope that it reaches you in time. _

_The Ministry of Magic has been invaded. You-Know-Who has taken over. _

_You still have the Trace on you. That's definitely not a good thing. With You-Know-Who in charge of the Ministry, you aren't safe anymore. He can easily track you down. You need to go into hiding until we come up with a plan. I think the Order is going to try to break into the Ministry to take the Trace off early. We can't wait three weeks until your birthday._

_Please don't do anything dangerous or even leave your aunt and uncle's house. You would be prone to attack. Don't endanger yourself. Please, stay safe, Harry. We will come to get you as soon as we find a safe place for you to go into hiding. _

_Hermione_

Hermione sent off the letter quickly, attaching it to Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon. Pig flew off, and Hermione hoped that the letter would reach Harry and warn him.

What she didn't know was that it was already too late.

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**A/N: Sorry about another short chapter, but at least I'm updating. I will try to extend the chapters as I go on in the future. The next chapter will definitely be longer. Oh, and sorry for the cliffhanger :) I promise I'll have the next chapter posted soon! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat some sugar... ;)**

**-Breeze**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter! Here is the next one! Read on!**

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Harry woke up in the dark.

He was completely confused. He couldn't see a thing. It wasn't like he wasn't wearing his glasses; he could feel them on his nose. No, everything was pitch black. And something smelled like mold.

'_Where am I?' _he thought. Then everything came rushing back.

_(flashback)_

_Harry was lounging on his bed, reading Quidditch Through the Ages. It was a warm summer day, and for the first time in quite a long time he felt something close to happiness. Not complete happiness, it was still like there was a gaping hole in his life. But it was something._

_He gave a sigh and continued to read about the history of the Golden Snitch. Suddenly, there was a pop and a crash from out his window. Then more and more, until it was almost deafening. He heard a bang and the sound of the front door being blasted away, and screams shook the house before going silent._

_Harry jumped up, grabbing his wand from his bedside table. He quietly opened the bedroom door and gasped at the sight that greeted him from the foot of the stairs. _

_The Dursleys all lay dead. No blood, no injuries. Harry knew that the only thing that could have killed them was the killing curse._

_Harry heard a rustling noise, and tensed. He swung his wand arm around. A large hand grabbed it from behind._

_"Well, if it isn't Harry Potter," a voice growled. He heard laughter before everything went black._

_(end of flashback)_

Harry gasped as he remembered. He knew he had been kidnapped- probably by Death Eaters. How had they known where he was? How had they broken through Dumbledore's Ministry-approved wards? He was absolutely puzzled.

Then, he began to panic. How could he get out? Did anyone from the Order know he was missing? How long had he been out cold, anyway? And WHERE was he?!

He sat in silence for a few minutes. After the initial shock wore off, he slowly began to discover things about his situation. He could feel a cloth-like material, so he knew he was gagged and tied. He still couldn't see a thing, and by then he should have adjusted to the dark. The blackness he was surrounded by was too unnatural, so he was probably blindfolded. That would explain why his glasses were so much tighter to his face than usual. His stomach felt empty, and his whole body stung- probably the work of some sort of jinx.

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming from what seemed to be outside of the room. He braced himself to confront the stranger.

The stranger opened the door and walked across the room with large, heavy footsteps. The next thing Harry knew, there was warm breath on his neck.

"Well, look who's awake," growled the same voice that had spoken before Harry had been knocked out. "We were worried we'd killed ya, been out for three days, ya have."

Harry involuntarily winced. Three whole days?! He really hoped the Order had noticed his absence by now. He barely had any energy left; lack of food and water had taken its' toll on him. Escape seemed hopeless now. But he was a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! He couldn't just give up! He had to find courage!

Then, Harry thought of an idea. Not to escape- to survive. To survive, he needed food and water. His captors were the only ones who could give him those things.

"Well," Harry said, his voice muffled by the cloth, "If you want me to live, I need food and water." He hoped it would work, and that he wasn't wrong in assuming that it wasn't the Death Eaters' plan to leave him to die. After all, they hadn't killed him yet.

The Death Eater laughed- a deep, hoarse laugh that made Harry inwardly wince in disgust. "Right ya are- here ya go." He shoved a tray into Harry's hands, untied the blindfold, and walked away. Unfortunately, he moved too quickly for Harry to get a good look at what he looked like.

On the tray was a goblet full of water and three pieces of toast. Harry's stomach growled as he looked at it. He didn't think they had poisoned it, and he didn't care whether or not it was spiked with Veritaserum or something- he just knew that he needed to eat to live, so he gladly did so.

He scarfed down the toast. It tasted like heaven, even with nothing on it. Then he gulped down the water- the precious, wonderful, refreshing water. He felt his strength returning already. He still couldn't see many of his surroundings, but he could see that his upper arms and legs were strapped to a wooden chair with some sort of magical, strong rope. It would be hard to break through, but he didn't think it was impossible.

He was starting to get uncomfortable thinking about the chair. He wished he could get up and stretch. Instead he settled on averting his thoughts from it. Instead, he began to think about why he was there.

Did this have something to do with his scar burning the other day? Was Voldemort's anger directed towards him? He hoped not- he didn't want to feel the Dark Lord's wrath when he was in such a helpless position. If Voldemort WAS angry at him, then why? Harry had no clue at all. He wondered why he was there; were the Death Eaters just playing with him before they killed him, like a young child would play with their food before eating it? Or did they need him for information on the Order? If that was the case, then he really wished that he had practiced Occlumency more in his fifth year.

He sat for a long time thinking until he fell into an uneasy sleep.

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**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated before now, I've been kinda busy. I wrote most of this yesterday, but I couldn't finish because it was late. Then, earlier today I was swimming with Tawny and another friend... Also, of course, I am trying to manage five stories at once... but I posted now! **

**Also, if you remember that I promised longer chapters, then here is proof that I keep promises- this chapter is over 1000 words! That's more than chapters 1, 2, and 3 combined! I feel so accomplished XD**

**Keep coming back for more! And PLEASE review!**

**-Breeze**

**P.S. In regards to one of my other stories, Harry Potter and the Watching, I am still waiting for your votes! Please leave them in the reviews! And if you have NO clue what I'm talking about, then check out the story! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long, I've been busy... Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I will TRY to make it long... I will also TRY to update again today or tomorrow. Notice how I said TRY... Enjoy :)**

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Remus Lupin was worried.

Four days had passed with no sign of Harry. Remus had no doubt that the Death Eaters had taken him. Voldemort had taken over the Ministry, giving him full control over the Trace system, and then Harry was missing. It just added up.

He also knew that Harry was alive. Voldemort would have wanted it known throughout Wizarding Britain if he had killed the Light Side's savior. But this knowledge led to even more questions. If they didn't kill him, then what WERE they doing? Torturing him? Holding him ransom? Trying to get information out of him? Were they going to kill him after time? These thoughts gave Remus a horrible feeling. He couldn't afford to lose Harry. Not after James, Lily, Peter, Sirius, and Dumbledore.

The members of the Order who had been out searching for Harry walked in, and Remus walked hopefully towards them. Before he could ask, however, Kingsley answered the unspoken question. "No sign of him." He sounded drained.

Remus sighed as he went out to resume searching with his search team.

* * *

Meanwhile, Harry was just waking up from his restless sleep. He had had many disturbing dreams throughout the night, mainly of him being killed or tortured. He hoped that those dreams wouldn't become reality, but with him being at the mercy of the Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself, he knew that those were probably just desperate hopes.

The time crawled by extremely slowly. Around the middle of the day, however, he had company. Bad company.

"Harry Potter." Harry felt a shiver go down his spine. He was going to die. He knew it. He had escaped so many times before, always had a stroke of luck, always at least had his _wand_. But this time, he was hopeless and utterly defenseless. And he was a goner. Because none other than Lord Voldemort had just entered the room. Had spoken his name with such triumph, triumph because Harry was finally trapped. There was no way out. He had been a fool to hope. The longer he dwelled on it, the longer Voldemort stood studying him, rolling his long wand between his fingers, the longer it took for Harry to die, the more he felt his sanity slipping away.

"Well," Harry muttered, forcing himself to look up at the Dark Lord, "Get on with it. I'm sure you don't have all day."

Voldemort laughed- a high, cruel laugh. "I am not going to kill you. Not yet."

At this, Harry felt a flash of hope travel through him. He _wasn't_ going to die! For once, for the first time ever, Lord Voldemort wasn't going to try and kill him. It just seemed too good to be true. Then, Voldemort's words echoed in his head, and he realized that it WAS too good to be true. _Not yet._ Harry was just sitting on death row.

"Well, that's a first," Harry murmured.

"Indeed."

"So... why are you here, if you're not trying to do me in?"

Voldemort watched him in silence for what seemed like forever before finally answering. "I have my reasons. Now, _where is Dumbledore?"__  
_

Harry was thoroughly startled. "D-Dumbledore?" He sputtered.

"Yes, Dumbledore!" Voldemort snapped, his scarlet eyes flashing with anger. "Answer my question! Where IS he?"

"Dead," Harry growled. "SNAPE killed him!"

"_LIES,"_ Voldemort hissed angrily. "Severus Snape is a lying traitor. Dumbledore lives, and you know where he is. _Tell me where he is!"_

"You're mad! Dumbledore can't possibly be alive, I saw him fall! I saw him go flying off the Astronomy tower, I saw him on the ground, I saw his eyes!" His voice cracked as the memory came rushing back, the memory that he had tried so hard to push away. "His faded, empty eyes, the eyes that Snape took the life out of! I was there! I couldn't ever forget what I saw!" He struggled not to show weakness, to hold back the tears that were threatening to break through. Voldemort studied him, seeing through the brave face that Harry worked so hard to put up.

"Did you ever think about that?" Voldemort asked. "How Dumbledore fell off that tower. I've killed many people, and never has that happened. They always drop straight to the floor, they never fly back. Dumbledore was never hit with the killing curse."

"Well, even if he wasn't, the fall would've killed him!"

"Arresto Momentum," Voldemort growled. "That spell slows your fall. He used that."

"He didn't have his wand! Malfoy disarmed him!"

"_You foolish boy! Dumbledore,_ the 'greatest sorcerer in the world'? He doesn't _need _a wand to cast spells! Surely you must realize that! You witnessed it yourself, that night in the Ministry of Magic!" That brought back more bad memories that Harry had hidden. After Sirius had died, his senses had seemed faded, so the duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort had gone by in a blur. And he hadn't thought about it enough to realize that fact. Voldemort's claim was beginning to make sense. But was this all too good to be true? If Dumbledore truly was alive, then maybe there was hope of escape.

Voldemort sighed. "Well, I can see that you truly don't know anything. I can tell. I have no further use of you at the moment." And he left, unknowingly leaving Harry full of hope and even some happiness.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there's an unexpected turn, yeah? I was writing this blindly this whole time, so I was sitting here thinking about what Voldemort should want from Harry. And I thought that this had potential! I mean, I've read about proof that Dumbledore isn't dead (look it up) and even though I know it's not possible, it's fanfiction, right? So whatever.**

******I also should let you know that starting Monday or Tuesday I will not be writing for at least a week. I will be very busy. I'm sorry, I'm actually sad that I can't write, but life happens :(**

******So as I was writing the part where Voldy's like I SHALL NOT KILL THOU, and"Happy" by Pharrell Williams from Despicable Me 2 (look that up too, its a cool song) started playing on my phone, so yeah :) Coincidence! XD XD XD**

******Anyway, I will try to update as much as possible before I have to stop writing! Please review! Pwetty Pwease? (makes puppy face and fails)**

******-Breeze :) :) :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I actually CAN write today, maybe tomorrow, but definitely not Wednesday on. So here's the next chapter! Tell me what you think about last chapter's twist in REVIEW-MODE! **

* * *

Voldemort would try. Then he would wait, and try again. He would continue to do this until Harry finally gave him the information he needed. After time, he would torture the boy if needed. When he got his information, he would kill Harry. That was the plan.

But it hadn't worked. Harry had been utterly _clueless, _and now he was back on square one.

What should he do with the boy now? Hold him ransom? Hold him captive as bait? Simply kill him? It was no use interrogating him further... It was obvious that the boy had been telling the truth about not knowing Dumbledore was alive.

He decided that he would simply wait. Wait for Dumbledore to come and save the precious hero.

* * *

Time passed. Days. Weeks. Harry was finally allowed to walk around on the fifth day, so he thankfully wasn't strapped to the chair the whole time. He had to sleep on the floor, live off of toast and water, and be surrounded by the darkness of the room 24/7, but at least he wasn't trapped in that chair.

Harry missed his friends terribly. He had hoped for a rescue, but time had continued to pass, and none came. However, news of Dumbledore being alive had ignited something within Harry, a spark of hope. Dumbledore would most likely get word of his disappearance and come to his aid. He wouldn't just leave Harry trapped in a cold, dark room. Not the Dumbledore he knew.

Now Harry was certain that the reason behind Voldemort's surge of anger that night when Harry's scar had burned was Dumbledore. Voldemort must have found the evidence just that day. He was also now sure that Snape wasn't a traitor after all, that he had been assigned to kill the Headmaster but had saved Dumbledore instead. Harry wondered what Voldemort was going to do to Snape as punishment.

Harry could say that he was half used to his imprisonment. At the Dursley's house, he had been punished and locked in his cupboard many times, with little food. That, however, didn't mean that he enjoyed it. It was actually the opposite.

And still more time passed. Harry waited. Waited for Dumbledore to come and save him.

* * *

The three of them were gathered in the small bedroom. Ron was pacing. Hermione was trying to read, but mostly just thinking while she watched Ron's progress. Ginny was staring off into space.

"It's all my fault," Hermione suddenly whispered, snapping Ginny and Ron out of their musings.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, sounding tired.

"I tried to warn him," Hermione murmured. "I sent him a letter. But I was too late. I waited too long..." She looked as though she were about to cry.

"But they can find him, save him," Ginny said, afraid of the answer. "Can't they?"

"I don't know," Ron admitted.

"What if he's..."

"Stop," Hermione interrupted, her voice cracking. "We can't think that. We have to have hope, we can't give up..."

But they all felt like giving up at the moment. It had been three weeks with no sign of their best friend. All hope was lost. Silence fell upon the three friends again.

_'We can't give up,'_ Hermione thought. She had lost Harry after the deaths of Sirius and Dumbledore. He hadn't been himself. His former self had left them.

She couldn't bear to lose her best friend. Not again.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I couldn't write anymore after that last scene. It almost made me cry, and it didn't help much that Dumbledore's Farewell started playing on my phone. :'( I ate cookies, though. I wanted cheese but I couldn't find any, so I had cookies instead. MMMMM, Dark chocolate :) Both make me hyper, anyway. AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO MANAGES TO GET HYPER OFF OF CHEESE?! **

**Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Yes, I sped things up a little bit, and it might have been a bit boring, but the action is coming soon, I promise :)**

**Anyway, I won't update anything again until later, cuz I feel like going to play HP music on my flute :) Byyyyeeee! **

**-Breeze**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been able to come, but here you go :)**

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"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times… if only one remembers to turn on the light."

Translations? Latin: "Temporum felicitas…si inveniatur unum solum in memoria tenet lucis veritur."

Spanish: "La fecidad se puede encontrar incluso en los tiempos mas oscuros… si uno recuerda que encender la luz."

French: "Le bonhuer peut etre trouve meme dans les plus sombres de fois… si seulement on se souvient a allumer la lumiere."

Enough? Good… I'm getting tired of this.

But Harry had been thinking of this phrase ever since he heard of Dumbledore's false death. He kept going back in his memories to the welcome feast in his third year… kept remembering Dumbledore's message, and it brought him courage. He knew Dumbledore would come… he didn't know when or how, but he knew that Dumbledore would, because Dumbledore of all people wouldn't leave him to die. Because if he didn't hold on to that one scrap of hope, he WOULD die… not just physically, but emotionally.

* * *

The Order didn't think that anything could possibly be worse than the situation they were in.

They had put all of their missions on hold to find Harry. Because of this, they were not working on resisting, and Voldemort was getting stronger and stronger by the day.

It had been a month since Harry had gone missing, and they didn't know where to turn. They had searched relentlessly for all this time with no luck. For all they knew, Harry could've been dead.

Remus was taking the blow very hard. Harry was the only connection to James that he had left. But he managed to find the courage to keep going, to keep searching.

They were currently holding a meeting at the Burrow. They all stood gathered around the kitchen table, discussing where they should look next and more ideas of how to track Harry. They had no clue that during this very meeting, a breathtaking discovery would break through.

"We have already checked the Trace," Kingsley said. "The Ministry has made it inaccessible. We can't break into the system… we've tried everything we're capable of."

"Well, there has to be another way," Mr. Weasley said, although he didn't sound so convinced himself.

"Sure," Tonks said quietly. "But let's hurry… I miss saying 'Wotcher, Harry'…"

"Yes, well, we all miss Harry! Don't you think we're trying as hard as we ca-"

Remus came to an abrupt stop as they all felt the wards around the Burrow shudder slightly. They all whipped their wands out and waited for whoever had broken through to enter.

They were all caught by surprise as something burst through the window. It was a silvery figure… They all gasped as they realized what it was… a _patronus._ And not just any patronus, but a phoenix. The Order members stared with wide eyes as it circled the table as though calculating each of them before settling in the middle. A voice rang through the room, a voice they had all thought theywould never hear again.

"I will be arriving at the Burrow shortly. Be prepared."

Then, the patronus flickered and died.

They sat in silence. Shock and confusion coursed through everyone. Moody broke the silence.

"This is obviously some sort of trap," he growled. "It's not possible. We SHOULD prepare- prepare for the Death Eater that is bound to show up at the door any minute now."

"It can't be him," Kingsley agreed. "We all know what happened."

"But what if it is?" Remus murmured.

"But how? He was hot straight in the chest," Mr. Weasley reasoned.

They had no time to discuss it further, for at that moment there was a knock at the door.

The members of the Order all rushed to take positions in areas where they could cast spells but not be hit. Moody's magical eye swiveled towards the door.

"It's him," he whispered. "But he could be under polyjuice… Everyone, wands out." The room was silent except for the sounds of Moody's wooden legs hitting the floor as he walked, his wand pointed out in front of him. _Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. _Finally he reached the door. "Who's there?" he growled.

"Albus Dumbledore," came a cheerful voice. Everyone tensed with disbelief and nerves.

"If you are REALLY Albus Dumbledore, then you can answer this question. What is your description of death? And what about love?"

"Death is the next great adventure we face… Love is the most powerful thing in the world. I can elaborate if you wish, but I'm afraid that I might go on for hours…"

But Moody had already cautiously opened the door, and now stood with his wand in the face of a beaming Albus Dumbledore.

"Good evening, everyone," Dumbledore said. "May I invite myself in, Arthur?"

But Mr. Weasley was standing with his mouth open slightly in shock, and was too stunned to speak. So Dumbledore just walked right past Moody and into the kitchen.

"Well, I'm afraid it's been quite a while," Dumbledore stated, as casually as though he had simply gone traveling, and not assumed dead. He stood watching them all in amusement as they all struggled to compose themselves. "But perhaps I have some explaining to do. Might I do so over a cup of tea?" With a flick of his wand, a kettle appeared, and as he made the tea with more wand movements, they all just watched. He hummed a tune that sounded awfully like The Weird Sisters' newest song. After a couple minutes, cups of tea were floating into all of the Order members' hands.

"Albus," Remus eventually managed to choke out. "H-how? I mean… what…"

"Let me explain," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

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**A/N: Please read and review... the next update will be up momentarily! I already typed it, so expect it in within five minutes!**

**-Breeze**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Told ya it would be up super fast :) **

* * *

Harry could feel the wind whipping through his hair. The sun was shining bright, and heat was beating down on him, but he didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed it with opened arms.

Then, an urge came over him, and he began to run. He started slowly; then he steadily ran faster and faster, pushing harder and harder against the grass-covered earth floor. An almost unfamiliar feeling came over him… he felt _free. _He felt as though it was just him and the scene around him- calmness, serenity, peace, _isolation. _No one could control him… He could be who he wanted, do what he wanted, and nothing could get in his way. Nothing.

He woke up on the hard, cement floor. It had just been a dream. The comforting warmth was replaced by the coldness of his imprisonment. He couldn't run away from it.

He sighed with disappointment. Then, he stood up and began pacing.

This was how everyday passed- he would wake up, pace, eat, think, eat again, pace some more, and fall asleep to dreams of freedom. Always waiting for something to happen.

Little did Harry know that his schedule would be majorly disrupted.

* * *

The Previous Day

* * *

Hermione and Ron had been in the garden looking for Crookshanks. Now, the sun was setting, and it was slowly getting dark, stars popping into the night sky, and the moon becoming visible. It was a beautiful night, but they decided to head inside, or Fred and George would have started to joke about the romantic setting the two were in. But when they walked into the Burrow and through the kitchen door, their jaws dropped.

"P-Professor _Dumbledore?" _Hermione sputtered out.

"Good evening Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore beamed at them. He chuckled in amusement at the sight of Ron, who was still gaping and stammering.

"B-b-b-b-but-"

"RON!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly shouted. "You aren't supposed to be in here! We are in the middle of a meeting! Go upstairs NOW!"

And she ushered them out of the room, immediately placing enchantments over the door.

The two friends walked up to Fred and George's room in stunned silence. Fred, George, and Ginny were playing Exploding Snap on the floor. Ignoring them, Ron immediately rounded on Hermione.

"WERE YOU SEEING WHAT I JUST SAW?" He burst out.

"YES!" Hermione gasped, equally shocked.

"WHAT?" Ginny inquired loudly.

"Dumbledore!" Ron informed her. "In the kitchen! _Alive!"_

A shocked silence fell upon them, before George broke it.

"I think you two are hallucinating," he said skeptically.

"We're not!" Ron erupted indignantly. "He was _there,_ breathing and fully alive, with the rest of the Order! We wouldn't lie about something like this!"

"Well then, he was a ghost," Fred implied.

"He wasn't a ghost," Hermione said quietly. "I could tell. He was completely solid. He talked to us, too…"

"He acted as though he had never died!"

"But he DID die!" Ginny interrupted.

"I KNOW!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed simultaneously.

"Well, let's just see if you're right," George said mischievously, pulling out an extendable ear.

"Mum put wards on the door, though," Ron muttered.

"We improved them, ickle Ronnie," Fred said, grinning. "They can get through Mum's simple wards now."

They all grabbed an extendable ear eagerly (even Hermione), and crept down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Hermione placed disillusionment charms on them so they would become nearly invisible, and they fed the strings under the door.

"So, you mean to say that Severus Snape _didn't _fire the killing curse at you?" a voice that they recognized as McGonagall's said incredulously.

"Indeed," replied Dumbledore's voice. Fred, George, and Ginny tensed with excitement, while Ron shot them a look that clearly said, '_I told you so'. _"I told you to trust him, and he proved himself trustworthy on that night. He merely shot another curse at me, which could easily be mistaken as the killing curse. He saved me in a major act of bravery, and I am sad to say that it can be assumed that Lord Voldemort will have… _punished _him for it." An uncomfortable silence fell over them, which was broken by Remus after a few moments.

"So, you mean that You-Know-Who knows that you are alive?" he said quietly. Dumbledore didn't say anything, but they assumed he nodded because murmurs broke out amongst the Order.

"But there's more," Dumbledore added grimly. "I believe that Voldemort has taken Harry captive for interrogation of my whereabouts." A stunned silence fell upon them all. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins shared looks of wide-eyed shock.

"We always thought that Harry might have been captured by Death Eaters," Tonks murmured solemnly, "but you think he is being questioned by You-Know-Who _himself?" _

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore confirmed darkly.

"Did you even communicate with him?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Does he even know you're alive?"

"No, I'm afraid I was not able to contact Harry before his disappearance."

"But he could be being TORTURED!" Remus suddenly shouted, making the four eavesdroppers jump. "He could be suffering because of information he doesn't have! He could be… _dead…" _At this, his voice broke, and he didn't continue shouting.

"I know, Remus," Dumbledore murmured, sounding tired and defeated. "I know…"

"We have to get him," Mrs. Weasley said anxiously. "We have to find out where they're hiding him."

"I believe I have an idea of where he is," Dumbledore admitted, and Hermione glanced hopefully at Ron. "I have tried my best to track a couple of Death Eaters, and it seems that they all head towards some sort of meeting house. Harry could be kept there."

The group of teenagers shared surprised looks as they pondered over all of the new information. But the thing they heard next shocked them the most.

"We can't wait much longer," Dumbledore announced, after a pause. "Gather a search party. We leave tonight."

* * *

**A/N: YAY action time! Please review and I will get it posted ASAP!**

**-Breeze :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a few days...**

**I have exciting news! Well, exciting for ME, but just bear with me, or completely skip this and move down to the story..**

**I have NO reviews so far, but I would like to thank all of you because I have... (drum-roll, please) 1,026 VIEWS!**

**I'M SO HAPPY! THIS IS MY MOST SUCCESSFUL STORY! **

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**Tell your friends, tell their friends, tell your them to tell their friends to tell their siblings to tell their friends to tell their mothers! Tell EVERYONE so that we can reach 2,000 and so you can get 2,000 e-cookies!**

**Now enjoy the chapter! And please review! (BTW EVERY TIME I REACH 100 REVIEWS I GIVE YOU THAT AMOUNT OF E-BROWNIES!)**

**PS I will try to make this chapter at least 1,026 words to celebrate further :D**

**Now, cue dramatic battle music! **

* * *

Two heads snapped around at the same time as the wards shuddered. Two people leaped to their feet as a crash pierced through the silence. One whipped out his wand. The other stood there, feeling helpless.

One felt extreme anger. The other felt a burst of hope. The wards exploded, shattering into pieces. Two people exclaimed the same thing at the same time.

"_DUMBLEDORE!"_

Harry ran at the door, shoving against it, willing it to open, to let him get to the people that would save him. He cried out, though he knew that silencing charms had been placed around the room he was in. Escape seemed so near... But how could he let Dumbledore know where he was?

Voldemort knew it was Dumbledore. He had known that Dumbledore would come eventually. That knowledge was inevitable. He cared too much about the boy to leave him here. Voldemort hadn't killed Potter after he had proven to have no knowledge of Dumbledore's whereabouts for that reason- as bait. Dumbledore's love would bring about his downfall.

With a swipe of his wand, the last of the wards faded away. "Come," he called to his small army- Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Kingsley, Moody, and others. Anger flashing in his eyes and a look of determination on his face, Albus Dumbledore led the group. On they marched towards the house, Dumbledore's long beard and cloak billowing behind him in the fierce wind.

His Death Eaters were scrambling for cover when he walked in. "Stop hiding, fools!" Voldemort hissed. "Get in position outside the Manor!"

Harry listened in fear and hope to the footsteps of the two armies as they marched across the lawn to meet.

"Dumbledore," Voldemort sneered. He stood in front of his group, facing the leader of the other side.

"Hello, Tom," Dumbledore said calmly, though his eyes still burned with that scary look of power and anger.

"So. You live." Voldemort bristled at the mention of his true name.

"Indeed. Although, I think you've known that for quite some time. Tell me, what have you done with Severus?"

"I don't think you want to know," Voldemort cruelly laughed.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but there's someone that I really need to get to rescuing."

"Oh, really, now?" Voldemort asked, laughing. "Well, there's someone that _I _really need to get to killing. Someone who should already be dead."

"I think the muggle phrase is, 'Bring it on'..."

With that, the two groups charged upon each other. Curses flew through the night in explosions of deadly colors. Shouts and screams pierced through the cool night air. The battle began.

Lupin was fighting with Bellatrix Lestrange. Spells flew lightning fast between the two duelers. "Come and get it, filthy half-breed!" Bella screeched, the air around them filled with her maniac laughter. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" But before the spell could reach him, Lupin dove to the ground. The curse shot above him and made contact with a masked Death Eater, who immediately fell to the ground. Lupin cast a quick stunner at Bella before jumping up to rejoin the battle.

Mr. Weasley, meanwhile, dueled fiercely with Dolohov. "Crucio!" Dolohov screamed. The curse sent Mr. Weasley falling to the ground, twitching and convulsing in extreme pain. The Death Eater laughed cruelly as he tortured his enemy. Finally, Mr. Weasley was saved by a shout of "Petrificus Totalus!" towards Dolohov. Mr. Weasley looked over to see his son, Bill. Bill helped his father up before running to find another challenger.

Moody was fighting with a masked Death Eater. The former Auror was fighting with old skill and techniques. But all of his training was to be in vain.

The next killing curse hit him straight in the head.

The battle seemed to slow as all of the Order and Death Eaters saw Moody falling to the ground. Tonks screamed in grief for her old trainer. Everyone was still, watching the fallen warrior. The Order couldn't help but hope that he would spring up, ready for battle.

Then, a loud, furious yell wrenched them all back into reality.

They turned to see Dumbledore and Voldemort locked in a raging battle. Fury lit up both of their faces. Their spells locked in the center, sending sparks flying.

"YOU OLD FOOL!" Voldemort shouted. He broke off the spell and sent thousands of dagger-like objects flying through the air towards Dumbledore, who cast a large deflecting charm to send them back towards Voldemort. With a flick of his wand, they disintegrated. Dumbledore shot a jet of blue fire towards the Dark Lord, who met it with a stream of enchanted water, which immediately put out the fire. They continued to cast complex charms at one another. Finally, one of Dumbledore's spells hit Voldemort in the chest, and the Dark Lord fell momentarily unconscious.

"Quickly! Find Harry!" Dumbledore ordered. All the Death Eaters fled as Dumbledore stared at them with a scary amount of hatred. Then, he ran towards the Manor with the other Order members.

* * *

Harry was beginning to grow desperate. He could hear a battle raging above him, and he wanted to help so badly. But he was stuck in this room! He had been stuck in this room for so long! He kicked a wall in frustration, and immediately regretted it. He hissed in pain, hopping on one foot. He just wanted to scream!

So, he did.

* * *

"I hear him!" Tonks shouted, triping over a small table. She stumbled, then caught herself, and ran into the kitchen, where Dumbledore was talking urgently with Lupin. "Professor Dumbledore, sir!" She proceeded to slid into Lupin. She picked herself up, blushing a deep red. "Oops, sorry- Professor! I've heard him! I'd recognize his voice anywhere, I mean, I've known him long enough-"

"Nymphadora," Dumbledore soothed. "Can you please calm down and repeat that, only slower this time?"

"I hear Harry," she repeated. "I heard his voice coming from below, he screamed-"

"He what?" Dumbledore asked urgently, but he was already speeding out of the room. Tonks and Lupin rushed out after him. Tonks led him to the room where she was when she heard Harry. Sure enough, they could still hear screams. Dumbledore cast a spell, flinging open all the doors in the room. He went quickly towards the one with stairs.

Down they walked, on and on, until the stairs ended and they found a door. Wands out, Dumbledore cautiously opened it.

A most peculiar sight met their eyes. A teen was hopping on one foot in the middle of a small room with no furniture. He was tall, with black hair, round glasses, and tattered clothing. He immediately stopped hopping once he noticed them. Green eyes widened.

"_Professor Dumbledore!_" Harry gasped.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, I'm not very good with battle or grief scenes. And I HAD to make Moody die, he dies in the books, so... He DID die in a battle, just a different type. Everyone who dies in the books will die except Dumbledore. I'm sorry. I follow canon. (and yes, I'm afraid that George does loose an ear, but I won't tell you how. Basically just an altered version of events, I think it's called AU...?)**

**So I will update again ASAP... bye! :)**

**-Breeze**

**PS Remember my E-COOKIES AND E-BROWNIES offer! XD XD XD**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I would like to thank Calaminaria for my first review for this story! You rock! A dozen e-cookies to you!**

**Here is the new chapter. And just because Harry is rescues doesn't mean the story ends here! I have big plans for this! So ENJOY, and please review!**

* * *

"Harry," Dumbledore murmured with a sigh. He looked very old and tired, a look of regret and guilt on his face. They were in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. "I'm- I'm sorry for what's happened. It's my fault you were captured in the first place. I could have revealed myself to warn the Order to get you immediately after the Ministry fell. It's also my fault that you had to stay captured for so long. I was a fool, and I was being selfish. If I had just revealed myself sooner-"

"It's okay, Professor," Harry consoled. "I don't blame you. But why didn't you tell _me?"_

"I didn't want you to bear the pressure that came with the knowledge," Dumbledore answered after a pause. "I knew that if you had known, Voldemort would have tortured you for knowledge. I couldn't let that happen. I had hoped that if you didn't know where I was, or that I was even _alive, _that maybe Voldemort wouldn't take you. But I was wrong." He sighed heavily again.

"When I thought you were- gone- I..." Harry took a deep breath. "I couldn't handle it. Not after Sirius. I just wanted to let it all go... to give up..."

Dumbledore watched him as he spoke, with sad, calculating blue eyes.

"And then... Voldemort said you were alive, and..." Harry looked up at him, and that one glance said it all. "There was so much evidence, so much proof, that I didn't know why I hadn't thought of it before. And then I thought that maybe Sirius was alive, too, but... there's no proof of that... I'm just happy that you're back, Professor," Harry finished.

"I never left," Dumbledore whispered.

* * *

Voldemort woke up in the front yard of the Manor. He slowly got up and looked around. There was no sign of the Order.

He rushed into the Manor and down the stairs leading to the basement. He wrenched the door and screamed furiously.

The boy was gone.

* * *

Harry's scar burned like fire. He screamed and clutched his forehead, falling to the floor.

"Harry!" Dumbledore said, jumping up. But the pain had stopped, as quickly as it had started. Panting, Harry stood up, grabbing the chair for support.

"Your scar?" Dumbledore asked grimly. Harry nodded, shaking slightly. "I thought so... he's angry. Right?"

"Yeah," Harry gasped. "Extremely. He was in the room I was kept in..."

"Now that he's conscious again, it won't be long until he starts looking for you," Dumbledore said, bustling urgently around the room. "I will set up a portkey. It will take you to the Burrow... It's the place that has the most wards set up at the moment. I will be there often. Let me know if anything happens with your scar. Every piece of information is valuable. _Portus." _The goblet he was holding momentarily glowed blue, before the light died out. Harry's green eyes met Dumbledore's blue ones, worry clouding their gazes. "Until next time, Harry. Stay safe. _Three... two... one!"_

Harry felt a tugging sensation, before Dumbledore's office spun away in a whirl of color.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter was a little short... at least the last one was long! Hopefully I will have time to post another one tomorrow!**

**Please please PLEASE review! Half a dozen e-cupcakes to whoever does, an extra two for constructive ideas and criticism, and an extra three for a long one!**

**-Breeze**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello again peeps! Thanks for your support for this story! :D :D :D :D**

**I would like to thank the following people...**

**For favorites: ****Aristanae, FallenThorns, Jade-Serpens, Jashinistgirl1, and Ladymadonna1899.**

**For follows: ****Amelie S, Calaminaria, Elodie2109, I Love Being A Bookworm, futureauthor62, and lalasagwania.**

**Another thank you to futureauthor62 for the second review! Eight e-cupcakes, as promised! **

**My co-writer, Talon, for showing so much enthusiasm and support for this story.**

**Thanks so much! Ten e-lollipops to each of you! **

**Now, on with the chappie! **

* * *

Mrs. Weasley looked up in alarm as a flash of blue light came from the backyard, followed bu a loud crack. She jumped up and grabbed her wand, advancing cautiously towards the door. All of this wariness was a waste of time, however, because when she swung open the door, she was greeted by the sight of a very disgruntled Harry.

"Harry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, rushing at him as he picked himself up off the ground, the used portkey sitting on the ground next to him.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry greeted with a relieved sigh. "How are you?"

"Fine, but how are _you?" _she asked anxiously.

"Fine," he murmured, but she wasn't convinced.

"Dumbledore told me you might come. You can't be fine, you were kept prisoner in a dark, cold basement for two months! Come, I'll make you something..."

"No, really, I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley-"

"Nonsense, Harry, dear, you must be starving!"

"I ate in Dumbledore's office-"

"You lived off of bread and water for two months! Surely you must have more of an appetite!"

Harry was swept into the house and seated at the table. Once Mrs. Weasley left to make soup and a plate of sandwiches, he was nearly knocked off his chair by a blur of brown curls as Hermione came speeding faster than ever before into the room.

"HARRY!" she practically screamed. "Oh Merlin, you were missing for so long, we thought you'd been tortured or killed, we were worried sick, but now you're alive, and I'm so happy but I just can't believe it! Oh Harry, you look horrible! You're so thin and pale, are you alri-"

"Blimey, Hermione, if you hug him any harder, he WON'T be alright, he'll be suffocated to death! Let him breath!" Ron exclaimed, but he looked like he was about to faint from happiness and relief. Then, he was attacked again, but this time by a flaming red blur.

"Ginny!" Harry gasped. "Dear Merlin, between you and Hermione, Ron's right!" Ginny let go of him, and they looked into each other's eyes for a couple moments, before Ron cleared his throat loudly and moving between them.

"Hey, mate," Ron muttered, looking anxiously at Harry. He looked very tired, as though he had spent many nights without sleep.

Harry was speechless. After not seeing anyone but Death Eaters for the past two months, he was so relieved to see his friends again that he couldn't think of what to say. So, he just beamed weakly at them all. Luckily, they seemed to understand, because they all sat down. They simply sat enjoying each others' presence for a few minutes before the twins bounded into the room.

"We heard screaming," Fred announced. "Was it you, Ronnie-kins?"

"Yeah, screaming like a girl again?" George teased.

"Bet you a galleon he saw a spider."

"It wasn't me!" Ron growled. "It was Hermione!"

It was then that the twins noticed Harry.

"Blimey, Harry! Thought you'd kicked the bucket!"

"Yeah, thought you'd made like a frog and croaked."

"That's not funny."

"Well, you try it, then!"

They then began a hilarious joke-war that had them all entertained until Mrs. Weasley brought in the food.

"So, Harry," George asked through a mouthful of a sandwich. "DID you bite the dust?

Harry snorted in the middle of a mouthful of soup. He then entered a coughing and choking fit.

"Yeah," Harry said through coughs, but he was grinning. "I'm a ghost, coming back to haunt all of your sad lives..."

All of them laughed, except Hermione, who looked down at her soup, looking very pale.

"Really, Hermione, I was joking!" Harry said.

"Nah, mate, it's not about that," Ron informed him, suddenly grim. "She's blaming herself for your capture because she sent you a warning letter, but it didn't reach you in time..."

"Oh, Hermione, is that what you're so upset about?" Harry asked. "I don't blame you at all, really. You couldn't have known that the Death Eaters were going to attack me so soon!"

She gave him a weak smile, before they all went back to eating in silence.

* * *

_"My Lord," the man said, kneeling on the ground. _

_"Get up, Lucius," Voldemort hissed angrily. Slowly, his knees shaking, Lucius Malfoy rose._

_"You abandoned me," Voldemort said. "You left to hide from Dumbledore."_

_"I'm sorry, Master," Lucius mumbled. _

_"I am not that forgiving, Lucius. Surely you must know this."_

_"My Lo-"_

_"CRUCIO!" _

_Lucius fell to the ground, twitching and screaming in pain. The curse grew stronger and stronger, until-_

Harry woke up with his scar burning like fire. Panting, he rubbed his forehead, to discover that he was covered in sweat.

"Harry?" Ron mumbled sleepily from the other bed. "You alrigh', mate?"

"Yeah, Ron," Harry muttered, trying to stop his voice from shaking. "Just go back to sleep." The only response he got was a loud snore.

Harry lay awake for a long time, staring at the ceiling. Ignoring Ron's occasional shouts of, "Save me from the spiders, Mr. Unicorn Dude!", he slowly fell into a light sleep.

* * *

"You can't keep letting him in, Harry," Hermione exclaimed fretfully. "Especially not now, when he's probably looking for you! You need to start practicing Occlumency again!"

"Alright, alright, Hermione!" Harry relented.

"We all know that you're lying, mate," Ron pointed out.

Harry shot him a glare. Then, he noticed the empty bird cage sitting on the windowsill, and he remembered something.

"Hey, where's Hedwig?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione's reactions were simultaneous- they both grew very tense suddenly and paled, fidgeting nervously.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," Hermione, who had tears in her eyes, whispered.

"Why?" Harry asked, also tensing up, looking at both of them fiercely. A bad feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach. "What's happened to Hedwig?"

"Well, when the Order went to your Aunt and Uncle's house to look for you, Hedwig was..." Hermione continued quietly.

Harry felt his eyes grow wet, and a burning feeling rose in his throat.

"They think the Death Eaters..." Ron muttered, not meeting Harry's eyes.

Harry stood still for a couple of moments. Ron and Hermione braced themselves for the explosion.

Harry let out a loud roar, making Ron and Hermione jump, then ran rampage around the room, kicking and knocking over things. Then, he stopped at the wall, kicking it repeatedly.

"WHY- IS- THIS- HAPPENING- TO ME?!" He yelled, saying a word after every kick. "I'VE- LOST- TOO- MUCH..." He slumped against the wall, burying his head in his arms and crying two months' worth of tears. "Hedwig," he sobbed.

* * *

**A/N: I am sorry! I had to make Hedwig die... again, same reason as Moody's death. It killed me to write the last part of this chapter, ripped me apart. So you better like it! (no, not really. but I did go through a lot writing it for you)**

**PLEASE review so I can feel better!**

**More coming soon...**

**-Breeze**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I haven't posted in a long time... :P After the depressing ending to the last chapter, I kinda lost my inspiration... MUSE, COME BACK! PLEEEAAASSSEEE!**

**Oh, I think I just found something! Yaaay! This chapter will definitely be lighter! And a tiny bit of Romione, if you look closely...**

* * *

In the days following his discovery of Hedwig's death, Harry felt himself falling into a haze of depression, which was slowly replaced with that deep anger again.

Harry felt as though he was getting far too used to these feelings. He also was getting far too used to his scar burning nonstop...

* * *

"I don't want to, Ron."

"Aww, come on, mate. You only live once!"

"Ron! Leave him alone, he just needs some time!"

"Hermione, it's been nearly a week!" Ron sighed. "Life's too short for him to sit around and sulk all day! If Hedwig were alive- and, er, you know, human- she wouldn't have wanted this! Neither would Sirius! And this is exactly what Voldemort wants! It would do him good to let go of this depression and to get back to living his life!"

"Well," muttered Hermione, a little uncomfortable. "I guess you're right..."

Ron turned back to Harry. "Just for a few minutes, Harry..."

Harry sighed and stood up. "Fine, but just for a few. Don't bother me anymore after this, though!"

Ron grinned and raced out into the garden. Upon walking out, Harry breathed in the warm summer air. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the sun on his face. The moment was over, however, when Ron called to him from the broomshed. They picked up their brooms and took off into the sky.

As he soared, all of his worries and problems seemed to be blown away from him with the wind. His hair blew back, and his eyes stung as the air rushed past him. He went to dizzying heights at breathtaking speeds, and realized that Ron was right- he _had _needed this.

"I'll race you to the ground!" Ron shouted, zooming past him suddenly. "Let's scare Hermione!"

Grinning, Harry put on a burst of speed to catch up to Ron. They raced to the ground, Harry pulling ahead all the time, and flew so close to Hermione as they prepared to land that she shrieked and dove to the ground, covering her head.

As they hopped off of their brooms, they collapsed in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Their amusement only grew when they saw the look on Hermione's face.

"HARRY! RON!" she shouted, fuming. "You lost my page in my book!"

"What are you reading, anyway?" Harry asked, snatching the book off of the ground. He smirked. "Ah, yes, Hogwarts: A History- as expected. Tell me, did you find anything about the Hogwarts house elves this time through?"

She snatched the book from him and hit him over the head with it, sending Ron into more laughter until she did the same thing to him.

* * *

"Hey, 'Mione," said Harry. They were sitting in the garden a few hours later, lying on their backs in the warm grass. A plate lay abandoned a few feet away from them from when they had tuna sandwiches for lunch. They had laughed and joked for hours, and Hermione and Ron had marveled over how Harry had lightened up after only a simple ride on his Firebolt. "Truth or dare?"

"I never agreed to playing this."

"Oh come on," Ron exclaimed exasperatedly. "Don't ruin the fun, just pick one!"

"Oh, fine," she huffed. Then, like a true Gryffindor, she chose, "Dare."

"Hmmm..." Harry murmured, a mischievous gleam in his eye and a smirk on his face. "I dare you to... Ride on a broom for five minutes."

A look of horror spread across her face. "Harry, I can't-"

"Oh, Harry, spare her!" Ron said, in a mock-dramatic voice.

"Fine, then," he said to Ron, his smirk growing even bigger. "You have to go with her, then."

Ron blushed and glared at Harry. He stood up and grabbed his broom, helping a nervous Hermione to her feet. "Five minutes, no more, _right, Harry?" _he growled.

Harry grinned and nodded. "Five minutes."

Ron climbed onto the broom, Hermione following him clumsily.

"You'd better hold on. And not there-" he told her, as she had moved to grab Ron's shoulders. "You can't hold on tight enough there, you might fall off." Harry watched in amusement as she awkwardly put her arms around Ron's waist, a blush moving across her face.

"You ready?" Ron asked. She nodded, and they took off. They went faster than expected, because Ron had grabbed the Firebolt wothout realizing it. Hermione screamed as they pulled into a dive, approaching the ground and almost crashing before Ron pulled back up. Soon, however, Hermione's screams turned into shouts of joy, and five minutes passed without them realizing it.

"Harry," a voice came from behind him as he watched them fly. "May I have a word?"

Harry turned around to see Dumbledore coming towards him. "Yes, sir," he said, quickly sitting up and brushing the grass off of him. "Here, or-"

"Here's as good a place as any," Dumbledore replied, glancing up at Ron and Hermione in amusement. "Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley look a bit preoccupied at the moment, anyway."

"Yeah, er-" Harry began, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "It was a dare..."

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said serenely, following the path of the broom. "I find amusement in childhood games and actions such as those. Sometimes, I even participate in them, despite my old age. I will never forget the time I had to walk around with a vibrant purple beard for a whole day, because of a dare your father gave me on the last day of his seventh year. I must say, we ended that year in style."

Harry found himself laughing. "My dad had the nerve to do that to you?"

"No, Harry," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye. "Rather, I had the nerve to join in the fun."

Harry laughed again. "But, professor, what did you need to speak to me about?"

"We did get a little off topic, didn't we? I came to speak to you about Hogwarts. Will you be returning for your last year?"

Harry was caught a little off guard by this question. "Er- I never really thought about it... After I thought you'd... Well, I was planning on just searching for Horcruxes, but now I'm not exactly sure."

"Well, now that I'm back, I could resume the search for you. You could come on more excursions to look for them with me, if you wished to, now that you're an adult in the eyes of the law. It would be easier for you to help me if you were in Hogwarts, because I could contact you easier. And at the same time, you would still be getting the education required to get a good career. Also, I think it would be the decisions of Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to return for their final years. It, however, is entirely your choice. If you wish, we could go over the options for if you were to decide not to go to Hogwarts."

"No, it's fine, sir," Harry said quickly. "I want to help, so I'll go. Anyways, I like Hogwarts, and I suppose I should take my N.E.W.T.s so I can get a good job."

"Excellent," Dumbledore replied, nodding. "When Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley decide to come down, I can speak to them about it."

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, watching as Ron went in loops and dives that made Hermione squeal. Finally, with one last scream from Hermione, they touched the ground. They began laughing loudly as they slid off of the broom. Then, when they turned and saw who was sitting with Harry in the garden, they froze.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, smiling and patting the ground next to him and Harry. They awkwardly walked over and sat down.

"That was a little more than five minutes," Harry said, smirking. "Enjoy yourselves up there? Told you you'd like flying, 'Mione!"

"Oh, be quiet, Harry," Ron said, his ears pink with embarrassment as Dumbledore watched this exchange in amusement.

"Umm, Professor Dumbledore, if you don't mind me asking..." Hermione began nervously, "Why are you here?"

"No need to be nervous, Miss Granger," he said calmly. "I simply wanted to discuss the matter of Hogwarts with you three. Harry here has already agreed on returning for his last year. Will you be, as well?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Hermione, visibly calming. "Yes, sir, the N.E.W.T.s are very important!"

"Er- I guess I can't just stay here alone," said Ron. "Yeah, Hogwarts is cool."

"As expected," Dumbledore said. "As you know, term starts in around two weeks, a little less. Now that you've excepted the offer, the owls will arrive with your letters sometime this week." They nodded, and he stood up. "Well, I must go speak with Molly now. Have a nice evening." And with that, he left."

"You gonna be okay with Hogwarts, mate?" Ron muttered. "I mean, after all that's happened this summer?"

"Yeah," replied Harry. "Yeah, it'll be cool."

"Excellent," he exclaimed, a grin on his face. "Now, how about another go on our brooms?"

"Sure. Hermione, you coming?"

"Oh, fine," Hermione said, but this time, she was smiling. "But I'm going with Ron again, on _his _broom this time.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys thought this chapter was worth the long wait! So sorry about that :P**

**I won't be going through much of the classes at Hogwarts. Instead, I'll focus on the horcruxes and stuff. **

**Also, sorry for the extremely long summer. I don't know how long their vacations really are, but I had to make it this long to fit the plot...**

**Thanks again to the reviewers, who are Calaminaria, futureauthor62, and to guest reviewer MoldyNugget! You guys rock! I would make you some e-cookies, but I'm out of chocolate chips :P Will you accept peanut butter cookies, or, better yet, chocolate covered strawberries with whip cream? XD XD XD**

**Reviews are much appreciated! Now, I'm hungry, so I'm just gonna post this and go eat some Ramen Noodles or something, I don't know...**

**-Breeze**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hiiiii again to all you lovely ladies and gents!**

**...**

**Okay, that was random...**

**Aaaanywho, I am back with another fantastical (hopefully) chapter of ADLAADHH! And THAT is not a good acronym... I mean, try saying it out loud! Now try saying it five times fast!**

**SO, as you can probably tell by now, I am experiencing extreme phases of optimism and hyperness, so I will just say what I have to say and then let you read the chapter so you don't have to put up with me for too long. I think this chapter may be a little shorter than the last one, and less light-themed. Sorry, I've been kinda stuck lately, mostly thinking about one of my other stories (Living in a Daydream)... But, I figured it was time to get SOMETHING out here, whether it's short or long, light or dark.**

**First of all, I think a certain guest reviewer needs a special shout-out. Three cheers for MoldyNugget! (By the way, I love your guest-name-thing!) Your review was very kind, and it made my day! **

**Thanks to all the other reviewers as well. I should have sent out thank-you PMs to all of you by now, but let me know if I skipped you, because I really appreciate what you had to say! MoldyNugget, I would have sent out a PM to you, but you're a guest reviewer, sooo... sadly, I can't...**

**I would like to say thank you to AAAALLLL of you readers because we have reached... *drum-roll***

**2,000 VIEWS! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! CONFETTIIIIIIII! *horn-party-noise-maker-blowy-thing* **

**Thank you thank you thank you for all of your support! It is proven because even days and days after I last posted, meaning that you have been spreading word by putting this story or my account under your favorites list or something, and when people go to YOUR account they click on it to read it! Thanks so much for these actions, intentional or completely coincidental! Also, I know that Talon and maybe Tawny have been spreading word, because I think both of you know MoldyNugget and suggested looking at our shared account...? (Talon, Tawny, and MoldyNugget: correct me if I'm wrong, it may have been another guest reviewer on a different story that you knew...)**

**Sorry this author's note is so long (468 words) :P To make up for it, I won't put one at the end...**

**So, once you're all done partying *pauses to take a sip of butterbeer and a bite of cake* I welcome you to read chapter thirteen of Dark Lord/Hero! (Maybe that abbreviation is good... I know ADLAADHH certainly isn't...) I hope you enjoy, and maybe leave a review!**

* * *

_"Where is Harry Potter?"_

"I- I don't know!"

"CRUCIO!"

Screams filled the dimly-lit dungeon.

"Let's try this again. Where is the boy hiding?"

"Please, please! I swear, I don't kno-"

"CRUCIO!"

After the screams died away, the man lay panting on the floor, looking up pleadingly. "Please... I swear, I have no clue where the boy is being kept!"

"You are an acquaintance of Albus Dumbledore. Surely you must know!"

"No, no, I'm not- I thought he was dead! I have not been in contact with him for months!"

"But you have been in contact with other people, have you not? You must at least know where some of the Order members are!"

"Please-"

"Let me handle this, Yaxley."

The man's eyes widened with fear as Lord Voldemort swept into the room.

"My Lord," Yaxley muttered, bowing quickly and scurrying to the side of the small room. Voldemort approached the man on the floor with disgust.

"You have a daughter, yes?"

The man froze. "No, no, I don't know what you're talking abou-"

"Crucio," Voldemort said with a lazy flick of his wand, watching as the man writhed with agony. When the spell wore off, he spoke again. "Do not lie to me. You have a daughter. Tell me, what is her name?"

Voldemort began to twist his wand between his fingers very visibly, and the man gulped, shuddering at the thought of more torture.

"Her name," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes tightly shut, "is Luna."

The Dark Lord smiled, making the man shiver more.

"Don't hurt her!" he begged. "Please..."

"Oh, don't worry. You have nothing to fear..." His grin widened. "..._if you have nothing to hide. _You wouldn't want your precious Luna to suddenly go missing, now, would you, Lovegood?" The man shrunk back, cowering in fear. "I wouldn't think so. It is the Light side's greatest weakness, _love._ Someday, it will be your downfall.

"If you give me the information on the Order's whereabouts, I can guarantee you and Luna's safety for one attack. Or, we could just kill both of you now... After all, you will both simply be more steps closer to the Light side's loss of wizards, and their eventual downfall.

"Now. Are you going to give me information?"

Realizing that he had no other choice, Lovegood began to speak, his voice weak and quavering.

"There is to be a wedding..."

"Go on."

* * *

"Fleur," Hermione said, her nose wrinkled up in disgust. "Can you believe it?"

"He could have had better taste than _Phlegm," _Ginny snorted.

"I feel so... happy!" Harry suddenly exclaimed.

The two girls looked at him as though he had five heads.

"You're... _happy _that Bill got engaged to that snob?" Ginny asked him, completely bewildered.

"No, I-" he doubled over with a shout, clutching his forehead. Waves of elation came over him, and a high, cold laugh escaped his lips.

"Harry?" Hermione asked urgently, jumping to her feet. "HARRY!"

He saw a flash of red, and the next minute the door was bursting open. He squinted up through watery eyes to see the worried faces of Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley peering down at him. Something cool was pressed against his forehead. He welcomed the cool sensation, and leaned back so his head was on the ground. He closed his eyes until the pain receded.

When Mrs. Weasley saw that his eyes were open again, she immediately said, "Are you alright, Harry? Is your scar still hurting? Do you need to lie down or anything?"

"N-no, Mrs. Weasley. I'm... I'm fine, really..."

But Mrs. Weasley would have none of it. "No, come, dear boy. Here, sit on the bed..." She helped him up and led him to the nearest bed in the room, which happened to be Ginny's. As soon as he sat down, she rushed over and took a seat next to him, her arm gently touching his shoulder. Hermione and Ron watched him anxiously from nearby.

"I'm fine now, guys," he told them. "Really, the pain's gone. It was only for a few seconds."

Mrs. Weasley looked doubtful, but she moved towards the door. "Alright, if you say so. But if anything else happens, come and find me straightaway."

Once she left, Hermione instantly attacked him. "Harry, did you see anything?"

"I-"

"You can't keep letting him in!"

"But _Hermione, _I-"

"You need to begin practicing Occlumency again!"

"_Let him breathe, Hermione!" _Ron exclaimed.

"Ron's right, Hermione," Ginny said quietly. "Calm down."

Hermione took a deep breath, and Harry took the opportunity to get a word in. "What exactly just happened? I couldn't tell because, you know, I felt like my bloody head was on fire..."

Hermione shot him a nervous glance and explained. "Well, you said you were feeling very happy, which you know, and then you just collapsed, shouting and grabbing your forehead and all that. So Ginny went to go and get Mrs. Weasley, who was working in the kitchen with Ron, Bill, and Fleur. She conjured ice and put it on your forehead, and then you were okay..."

"You said you were _happy?_" Ron asked, bewildered. "About what?"

"Well, it was obviously You-Know-Who, wasn't it?" Hermione said. "He must be positively elated about something." Then, she looked at Ginny with a peculiar expression, and added, "Did you tell your mum about... you know...?"

"No," Ginny assured her, looking at Harry quickly with the same expression on her face.

"What?" Harry asked fiercely, glaring at the two girls. "What did you leave out?"

At a nod from Ginny, Hermione said, "Well... after you collapsed, you sort of started to laugh... Except it wasn't really your laugh. I'd never heard the laugh before, so I think it was probably You-Know-Who... Harry, I really think you should tell Dumbledore about this!"

"No, Hermione," he said quickly. He didn't know why he was holding back from telling Dumbledore, but he pressed on. "Stuff like that's happened to me before, anyway."

"It has?" she asked, sounding frantic.

"A couple times," he murmured. "It's not anything too bad..."

"Well, look back on those times, Harry! Did anything really bad ever happen shortly after this happened?"

With her sharp gaze burning into him, he knew it was no use lying. "Yeah," he admitted, avoiding her gaze. "Every time. But, hey, there's always an exception!"

"This is serious, Harry! You can't take that risk!"

"I have to agree with Hermione on this one," Ginny told him, and Ron nodded.

"Harry, write a letter to him the first chance you get," Hermione begged him. "Please."

Harry sighed. "Fine," he lied. "I'll do it when I can."

Something in their gazes told him that they weren't convinced.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hi. **

**Now, on with the chapter! (LOL! XD)**

* * *

Dumbledore sighed, and began pacing again.

Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He hadn't received any news from Harry. But, that was supposed to be good, wasn't it?

He bent over his Pensieve, simply staring into it's swirling depths. He was interrupted from his thoughts by something tapping sharply on his study window. He looked up quickly and rushed over to let the owl in, hoping beyond hope that it was a letter from Harry, at least saying that everything was okay. He almost sighed with disappointment when he saw Mrs. Weasley's loopy handwriting on the envelope, although he let himself hope that she was writing because of Harry. He opened the letter carefully, straightened his spectacles, and began to read.

_We would like to invite you to:_

_Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's Wedding_

_To be held on: August 1st, 1997_

_At: The Burrow ..._

It was just an invitation. He supposed he should have felt happy for the couple, after all, the world needed a little more love in times like these. However, he had to help Professor McGonagall deliver the last of the Hogwarts letters on that day, so he would be unable to attend. He quickly wrote a letter explaining this, and wishing the couple happiness in advance, and he sent it off with the owl, only to begin pacing once more.

Well, maybe he should go, to check on Harry... Dumbledore shook that idea off. He could check on Harry any time; hadn't Molly said so herself, that he was always welcome for any reason? He sighed and strolled over to the window, staring blankly out at the grounds. He heard a faint chirp and Fawkes landed next to him, landing on his shoulder. Dumbledore stroked him absently, wondering why he was making excuses.

* * *

"Harry, dear, take a break now, an owl's just arrived for you," Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs of the Burrow. Harry dropped the dusty rag he was holding and went down to the kitchen, and was greeted by a jumble of aromas; Mrs. Weasley was bustling around, cooking dinner. His gaze moved over to the table, which had a single parchment resting on it. He moved towards it and picked it up.

_Harry,_

_I just wanted to check and make sure that everything is alright. I would assume so, seeing as you haven't sent me a letter stating otherwise, but one can never be too careful... especially in times like these._

_Please, Harry, let me know if you have any concerns. I can tell you with full confidence that anything you tell me will not be taken lightly. Even slight twinges from your scar should not be brushed away. Also, if you experience emotions that are inappropriate for any given situation that you may be in, like in the past, please alert me right away._

_I trust you to follow this advice, Harry. You are smart; you wouldn't take such things lightly either._

_Wishing you well,_

_Professor Dumbledore_

Harry's brow furrowed as he read, and he swallowed nervously. It was as if Dumbledore knew exactly what had happened, and what he had said was 'advice' sounded more like an order. He had no way of knowing, though... or did he? What was more, Dumbledore had stated outright that he TRUSTED Harry, without knowing that Harry had done something that could potentially break that trust.

"Harry?" he heard a voice behind him, making him jump. He turned around to see Mrs. Weasley leaning against the counter, looking at him with a worried expression.

"Yeah?" he asked, wetting his suddenly dry lips.

"I read your letter," she said apologetically. "I had to. I had to check what it was... we have to be careful."

Harry nodded weakly, a sinking feeling inside him. He hadn't even noticed that the letter wasn't in an envelope.

"You didn't write to Professor Dumbledore about your scar, did you?" she asked, the question he had been dreading. He shook his head slowly.

"No... I- I didn't."

Instead of scolding him, as he had expected, she simply gave him an understanding look. "You have to tell him now. I know it may be difficult, and that you don't want to worry him further. But I think he would be more worried by a suspicious lack of activity from your scar. Do you understand?" She cupped her cool hands on his cheek and looked directly into his bright green eyes.

"Yeah," he murmured, avoiding her gaze. She gave him a small smile and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"We've all been so worried about you," she whispered. Harry felt his heart throb; half of him felt guilty, wishing that they never had to feel so worried because of him. The other half wished that it was his own mother hugging him.

Mrs. Weasley released him and gave him another smile. "Now, why don't you head upstairs and reply to Professor Dumbledore. Then, after that, have a little break from working."

"No, it's okay, I'll work," Harry argued. "I want to help-"

"Hush," she scolded, patting him on the shoulder. "You've helped quite enough already. It's not your responsibility. Plus, surely you need to rest, after months in that horrid place."

He sighed, giving into her protectiveness. "Okay..."

"Good," she said, moving away from him and flicking her wand towards the sink, which then turned on to wash some salad. He picked his letter up and trudged upstairs. He was met halfway up by Hermione, coming down holding a pile of laundry.

"Hey, Harry!" she said cheerfully. Then she saw what he was holding. "What is that? Have our Hogwarts letters come already?"

"Er- no," he admitted, trying to step around her, but she moved to block his path.

"What, then?"

"Um, I'll tell you in a minute," he lied. "I, er, have to use the toilet first."

She eyed him warily, but she stepped aside, and he hurried past her before she could object.

Once he was in the bathroom, he closed the door firmly behind him and locked it. Then, he looked at the letter in his hand and made a decision.

He left the letter sitting in the trash can in hundreds of small, burnt pieces.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that chapter was long enough to please all of you. I am truly very sorry about the long wait; I had writers block, and when I overcame it, I became weighed down with tons of back-to-school prep, and writers block came upon me once more :P**

**Anyway, I was aiming for a longer chapter, but this seemed like a better place to end it. So, maybe his reply to Dumbles will be in the next chappie... along with more ;)**

**I will probably update my story Living in a Daydream next, in between working on a new story that I haven't posted yet. For the first time, I'm actually working on multiple chapters BEFORE I post the story, which should lead to more updates (hopefully) and better spaced updates, and also more time to work on new ideas for it and less writers block. SO, basically, I'm hoping this method works better...**

**Thanks for reading this, and thanks to all my reviewers!**

**-Breeze**


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